Veganish Hash Brown Casserole

What's the Word June
Today's word is: (rudimentary) 

Picture and Original Recipe found here.

I had a craving for a rudimentary hash brown casserole last night... I found a recipe online, switched it up and actually created a banging dinner last night! I want to make sure I remember what I did, so I will post the recipe here, but silly me... I forgot to take a picture of my yummy invention. dun. dun. dun. (The picture you see up there is from here.)

If you're wondering why I called this recipe "Veganish Hash Brown Casserole", it's because I used the yummy stuff pictured above (which strangely is not on their website, wha??): Quorn Meatless & Soy Free Tenders. This is the best fake chicken stuff I've found. It's vegetarian and dairy free so it totally works for us, but it does contain eggs. You could, of course use your own vegan chicken substitute or even some diced up seitan to make a true Vegan meal. Without further ado, the recipe:

(Serves about 6)
Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hash browns (I used Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns)
• 1 package Quorn meatless & soy free tenders
• 5 Tbs margarine, divided (I use Earth Balance)
• A handful of diced up onions
• 4 Tbs flour 
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth 
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast 
• 1 Tbs oregano (This was good, but I think next time, I'll try Parsley or maybe even Rosemary)
• 3/4 cup soy milk 
• A few shakes of Bacos (optional)
• A bag of Steam in Bag Broccoli Florets
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt (to taste)
• Black pepper, to taste 
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (or more to your liking)

Directions:

• Generously spray a 9 × 13" casserole dish or similar with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Microwave the Quorn tenders on a microwave safe plate for about 2 minutes. Gently toss the hash browns and Quorn tenders together and place in the casserole dish.
• Shake your Bacos on top of the hash brown/Quorn tenders mixture if you are a Bacos loving person (like me).
• Pop your Broccoli Florets in the microwave according to bag instructions.
• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 Tbsp. of the margarine and sauté the onions for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour, creating a roux, and cook for 1 minute, or until browned. Gradually whisk in the broth, nutritional yeast, oregano, and soy milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (the sauce shouldn’t be so thick that it sits on top of the casserole instead of steeping through).
• When the broccoli is done, spread evenly on top of the hash brown/Quorn tender mixture.
• Now, the sauce should be about ready... season it with the salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the casserole.
• In your scraped out saucepan (the one you used for making the sauce), melt the remaining 1 Tbsp. margarine and toss with the Panko bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is browned.
• Let cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

We paired this meal with some Pillsbury Original Crescent rolls (which are vegan)!

The kids were happy, Mommy was happy (because this is an easy one) and it came out yummy! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

<3, Tabi :D